Talk Like TED: The 9 Public-Speaking Secrets of the World's Top Minds

by Carmine Gallo

A great public speaker is inspiring, irresistible, and irreplaceable.

Speaking is natural; public speaking is a skill.

you’ll find your voice, the most beautiful sound in the world.

In March 2012, civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson delivered a talk to 1,000 people attending the annual TED conference in Long Beach, California.

“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.3 Don’t be trapped by dogma—which is living with the results of other people’s thinking,”

He suggested the use of rhetorical devices such as metaphors and analogies.

The most engaging presentations are: EMOTIONAL—They touch my heart. NOVEL—They teach me something new. MEMORABLE—They present content in ways I’ll never forget.

6 Passionate, powerful, and inspiring communication is one of those forces that moves and shapes us.

Dig deep to identify your unique and meaningful connection to your presentation topic.

Science shows that passion is contagious, literally. You cannot inspire others unless you are inspired yourself. You stand a much greater chance of persuading and inspiring your listeners if you express an enthusiastic, passionate, and meaningful connection to your topic.

People cannot inspire others unless and until they are inspired themselves.

Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, once told me he wasn’t passionate about coffee as much as he was passionate about “building a third place between work and home, a place where employees would be treated with respect and offer exceptional customer service.” Coffee is the product, but Starbucks is in the business of customer service.

WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART SING?

So today I’ve replaced “What are you passionate about” with “What makes your heart sing?” The answer to the second question is even more profound and exciting than the former.

I’m sure you’ll agree that the answer to the third question is much more interesting than the first two. What makes your heart sing? Identify it and share it with others.

TEDnote WHAT MAKES YOUR HEART SING? Ask yourself, “What makes my heart sing?” Your passion is not a passing interest or even a hobby. A passion is something that is intensely meaningful and core to your identity. Once you identify what your passion is, can you say it influences your daily activities? Can you incorporate it into what you do professionally? Your true passion should be the subject of your communications and will serve to truly inspire your audience.

happiness is a “deep sense of serenity and fulfillment.”

“Authentic happiness can only come from the long-term cultivation of wisdom, altruism, and compassion, and from the complete eradication of mental toxins, such as hatred, grasping, and ignorance.”

“I believe that the best way to communicate with anyone is to first check the quality of your motivation: ‘Is my motivation selfish or altruistic? Is my benevolence aimed at just a few or at the great number? For their short-term or their long-term good?’ Once we have a clear motivation, then communication flows easily,” says Ricard.

I asked Ricard how he remains calm and relaxed in front of large audiences. Ricard believes that anyone can talk him- or herself into feeling joy, bliss, and happiness when they choose to do so.

Following your passion takes courage, especially if you don’t see the results as quickly as you’d like.

“You’ve got to follow your passion. You’ve got to figure out what it is you love—who you really are. And have the courage to do that. I believe that the only courage anybody ever needs is the courage to follow your own dreams.” —Oprah Winfrey

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

Cardon says that passion is something that is core to a person’s self-identity. It defines a person.

“When you are passionate about something you can’t help yourself from thinking about it, acting on it, and talking about it with other people.”

Thoughts change your brain chemistry, shaping what you say and how you say it.

When you’re passionate about your topic—obsessively so—the energy and enthusiasm you display will rub off on your listeners. Don’t be afraid to express yourself—your authentic self.

INVITE PASSIONATE PEOPLE INTO YOUR LIFE. Starbucks founder Howard Schultz once told me, “When you’re surrounded by people who share a collective passion around a common purpose, anything is possible.” Identifying your passion is one step, but you must share it, express it, and talk about what motivates you with the colleagues, clients, and other people in your life.

Leaders use passion as a hiring criteria.

You must also surround yourself with people who are passionate about your organization and the field in which they’re working. Your ultimate success as a leader and communicator will depend on it.

WANT TO HELP SOMEONE? SHUT UP AND LISTEN

learned the hard way that we is a more powerful word than I.

I raised earlier in the chapter: “What makes my heart sing?” Once you discover that which makes your heart sing, the stories you tell, the slides you use, and the way you deliver your content will come to life. You will connect with people more profoundly than you ever thought possible. You will have the confidence to share what you’ve learned as a true master. That’s when you’ll be ready to give the talk of your life.

“The second thing I want you to promise me is that you’ll always do the right thing even when the right thing is the hard thing.”

BREAK DOWN THE WALL WITH STORIES

Stevenson purposely chose to tell a story that made it easy for his audience to connect with him on a personal and emotional level.

Stevenson has discovered that narrative is the most powerful way to break down resistance.

Maybe stories are just data with a soul. And maybe I’m just a storyteller.”

Yes, we’re all storytellers and we’re telling stories in business each and every day.

We all want affirmations that our lives have meaning. And nothing does a greater affirmation than when we connect through stories.

Inspiring communicators and the best TED presenters stick to one of three types of stories. The first are personal stories that relate directly to the theme of the conversation or presentation; second are stories about other people who have learned a lesson the audience can relate to; third are stories involving the success or failure of products or brands.

Personal Stories

If you’re going to tell a “personal” story, make it personal. Take the audience on a journey. Make it so descriptive and rich with imagery that they imagine themselves with you at the time of the event.

“The most basic way to get someone’s attention is this: Break a pattern.”9 Curiosity and mystery are powerful ways to get our attention.

“Curiosity, he says, happens when we feel a gap in our knowledge … gaps cause pain. When we want to know something but don’t, it’s like having an itch that we need to scratch.

if you want to be quoted, tell a story, and the more personal the better. It works nearly every time.

People love stories. Business professionals rarely tell personal stories, which is one reason why they make such an impact when they do. Today when I coach CEOs for press interviews or major presentations, I always encourage them to incorporate a personal story.

Stories about Other People

After establishing pathos with the audience, Osteen turned to logos and shared the following statistics with the audience.

When God puts a dream in your heart, you know you’re going to succeed. Every ‘no’ means you’re one step closer to ‘yes.’”